Honor and Duty
by Magic is Might and Tea Leaves
Summary: A/U: For ten years they had waited for they had waited for his return to his birthright. They were never quite sure that what they got was something they expected.


Disclaimer: The following stories are based on situations and characters from the Harry Potter books which are created and owned by J. K. Rowling, and various other publishers, including, but not limited to Warner Bros., Inc., Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, and Raincoat Books. No use other than entertainment is intended and no financial gain is being made. No trademark or copyright infringement is intended.

Additional Disclaimers: The Dragon Age name, logo, setting and characters are all property of Bioware Corporation. I have not, nor have I ever, claimed them as my own work. The world and characters of the Mercy Thompson series belongs to Ms. Patricia Briggs. I'm just borrowing it for a moment because some of the ideas she had are absolutely amazing. I have never claimed them as my own work.

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Albus Dumbledore sighed wearily as he surveyed the makeshift hospital/safe house that James Potter had made the hidden house of Knight's Keep. All of the bedrooms, the study, sitting room and basement had been filled with metal cots and serviceable mattresses. It wasn't the most comfortable set up but it was safe and it worked.

A soft clearing of the throat caught his attention and Dumbledore looked up and smiled at Sirius Black, his face grim and his hair messier than usual. Sirius stuck his hands in his pockets and for all the world looked like a scolded school boy as he nodded to the occupant of the bed nearest to Dumbledore. "How is he?"

Dumbledore glanced down at the bed and sighed again. Severus Snape had given himself away as a spy by stepping in front of a cutting curse intended for someone else earlier that day during a raid. The curse had cut the man from just below his right ear across his throat and down his chest to his naval. It would scar and more than likely remain the same blackened color that it currently was. It would have killed its intended victim, Sirius Black.

"He will live," Dumbledore said softly as Sirius crept closer and watched the man that had saved his life for the second time. Sirius nodded sharply and then turned towards another person who had been injured, Andres Falcone, and began to fuss over his covers. "Come Sirius; let's have a cup of tea."

Sirius followed Dumbledore into the kitchen and closed the door, the slight him of wards and silencing spells shifting briefly through the room. Sirius went about making a pot of tea, the movements ingrained after years of doing so. Dumbledore took a seat at the kitchen table and watched quietly as Sirius used the familiar motions to calm himself.

"He's saved me twice, Albus." Sirius said slowly, his voice hitched in slight panic.

"Once," Dumbledore corrected. He was slightly stunned when Sirius shook his head vigorously.

"Twice, Headmaster," Sirius reiterated and Dumbledore winced slightly at the use of one of his many titles. "Or do you think that Remus would have let me live if he had so much as hinted at having a nightmare about that night?"

Dumbledore sighed as he accepted a glass of tea, his blue eyes absent of their usual twinkle. He opened his mouth to respond when a ball of glowing, silvery light entered the room and hovered over the kitchen table. They both watched, terror and dread sinking into their guts, as the ball of light twisted into the form of a large stag.

"We've been betrayed!" The voice was clear and concise as it had always. "HE is here!"

The spectral beast repeated the warning once more completely and was halfway through it again when it snapped out of existence mid-word.

Dumbledore and Sirius were both on their feet before they even knew that they were doing. Dumbledore paused long enough to grab Sirius arm and with a crack they winked out of existence.

/

They reappeared in Godric's Hollow, in front of a small and cozy cottage, on the other side of the country from Knight's Keep. Sirius didn't waste a second before he darted out of Dumbledore's grasp and sprinted up the front walk.

He didn't pause at the front door, or where it should have been had it not been blasted off of the hinges or to take in the smoke that billowed out of the caved in roof. He only stopped when he came fully into the house and saw the damage.

If he had thought about it, which he didn't, he would have admitted that though the outside looked horrible the inside was a true testament to the struggle that must have happened. Furniture was strewn about and splintered, an armchair smoked and there was an end table in pieces by the fireplace. There were scorch marks on the walls and floors from spell fire. Chunks of plaster and ceiling coated portions of the room with a cloying dust and the faint spell of burnt ozone lingered in the air.

Sirius shook his head, black hair swirling briefly as he continued deeper into the house, wand out. At the base of the steps, wand outstretched, was James Potter with vacant hazel eyes and a giant hole in his chest – his ribcage and sternum blasted open, muscle and flesh hanging ragged. Blood was soaked into the carpet beneath him and Sirius felt briefly ill. It was obvious that the man, his best friend, had died protecting his family as best he could. Swiftly climbed the steps to continue the living nightmare that his night had become.

Here was another door that had been blown off of the hinges with a chunk of wall missing as well. He made it to the doorway before he stopped and stared at the damage done to the nursery. This is where the roof had caved in. He saw and could only assume that some sort of magical backlash had caused it. There was a pile of smoldering black robes with an all too familiar emblem and a wand that looked like it had been burned a bit at the tip. He looked to the side and saw the body of Lily Potter, eyes vacant. The crib had been overturned.

Sirius immediately began to look for his godson and soon had the baby in his arms, crooning softly to calm the trembling child. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he wiped at the blood on the child's forehead and focused on the baby to keep from giving into the overwhelming urge to curl up in a ball and cry.

Soft steps behind him alerted him of possible danger and he spun, curling his body around the baby and bringing his wand to the fore so that he could protect his godson. Dumbledore held his hands up at chest height, palms empty, open and facing towards Sirius to show that he meant no harm. Sirius dropped his arm and Dumbledore stepped forward and took the room in at a glance.

"Sirius, check on Remus and Peter," Dumbledore said softly. Sirius clutched the baby closer and stepped back, his dark head already shaking in refusal. "Sirius, go, check on your friends and I will take care of the baby."

"He's my godson, Albus! He needs me!" Sirius tightened his hold on the baby desperately.

"What he needs is a rational adult, Sirius, not someone clutching him like a light in the dark. Give the boy to me and I will take care of him until you return." Dumbledore snapped. Sirius struggled with himself briefly before he handed the baby over and with a crack left the old man and child alone.

Dumbledore sighed as he looked down at the baby boy, his hand tracing the fresh and angry scar above his right eye before he cast a sleeping charm. Dark emerald green eyes closed and Dumbledore sighed and glanced around at the destroyed home before, with a crack, he left the home.


End file.
